The B-21 Stealth Bomber is an updated version of the 40 year old B-2 bomber. The B-2 stealth bomber architecture and choices have proven to be enduring.
The two updated engines in the B-21 are about 50-60% more powerful than the four engines in the B-2. They are 27,000 lbs of thrust vs 17,300 lbs of thrust.
The B-21 saucer profile in elevation is matched with a straight-edge planform to concentrate residual radar reflections—reduced by deep-section radar-absorbent material (RAM) edges—in the smallest possible number of spikes. There are updated materials.
The B-21 is the first known major U.S. military aircraft program to be fully designed on a digital thread. The shape and physical characteristics of each part were built into a digital prototype. This has allowed errors to be caught early and has made it possible, according to program officials, to incorporate all core systems on the first aircraft.
Better Stealth Through Computer Analysis
Computational electromagnetics allows for better low radar cross-section (RCS) shapes and more efficient use of RAM and eliminates much of the empirical cut-and-try methods used in earlier programs
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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Advancements in radar technology by necessity means Stealth technology will have to evolve in order to keep up.
1st of all Brian, love your work. Have your stuff on my news feed nearly every week. I am curious to see how this beautiful bomber actually works in real world scenarios. It is an expensive plane and we need to know how well it works before laying down billions more. Our advantages are eventually going to go away due to computers and A.I. so in the future, it is probably better to spend dollars on the manned/unmanned teaming in my opinion.
I designed the B2 Spirit and digital design after the fact someone like me drawing it first. Northrop Grumman is lying about the stealth bomber program . It takes a kid to design something so cool.